The Other Woman
by rizandace
Summary: Post Breaking-Dawn One Shot. Edward and Bella discuss Edward's distant human past.


Author's Note: Ridiculously short one-shot, post Breaking Dawn. A moment in the life of Edward and Bella. Please review!

Edward's POV

Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own Twilight.

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"Mmph. God, you are the most incredible woman in the entire world," I mumbled in utter satisfaction, collapsing next to my wife on the bed in our room.

Bella laughed in disbelief and rolled over to press her body into mine, humming and brushing her fingers through my hair.

"You might not believe me, but it's the truth," I said, placing my hands around her waist and pulling her in closer.

"So there's no one else?" she asked me, looking up from underneath her dark eyelashes.

I scoffed and grinned impishly, ducking my head down and placing open-mouthed kisses along her bare collarbone. She sighed contentedly and tugged at my hair lightly twice. Then –

"Edward?"

I was surprised, since usually my ministrations were enough to leave her completely incoherent, and she very rarely interrupted me.

"What, love?" I asked, dipping my head lower. Her hands tightened in my hair and she shuddered. But then, she tugged my head up, away from her, so she could look into my eyes.

"Bella?" I asked, bewildered.

"There was never anyone else?"

"What – no. You know that."

"Never? Even when you were human?" she asked me. She didn't look upset, merely politely curious.

"What are you going on about?"

"I'm just asking."

"Bella, there's never been anyone but you."

"Hm."

"What?" I asked, shocked. "Do you not believe me?"

"I believe you, I just… don't think you understand the question."

"I don't get it."

"I mean, were you ever promised to someone? I mean, without your consent. Arranged marriages? I know your family was well off, and I was just wondering if – " she stopped, seeing my wary expression. "Oh my God! There was?"

"Bella…"

"Seriously? Who was she? What was she like?"

Bella had sat up and the covers had flown away from her, revealing my very naked yet very upset wife.

"Bella, listen, you're being absurd, I don't even remember her name. My mother wished for me to marry the daughter of a friend of hers. I refused. I was planning on joining the army, remember?"

But my beautiful Bella, stubborn as always, shook her head in denial. "You were gonna marry someone else."

"Bella, no. Stop that, you're torturing yourself for no reason. You're the only woman that's ever mattered to me."

"Sure. Sure I was. So you're saying that if you had stayed human, you would have remained unmarried for your entire life?"

"Probably not," I answered truthfully. "But that's not exactly a fair question."

"How so?" Bella huffed, throwing her legs over the bed and throwing a robe on.

"If I had remained human, Bella," I said, following her over to the edge of the room. "If I had died when I was supposed to, would you have remained unwed?"

Bella looked confused. "Well, I never would have met you."

I raised my eyebrows, waiting for her to understand. "Right. You wouldn't have met me either. Still doesn't mean I like it."

I laughed. "Oh, Bella. Don't test me. The thought of you with another man drives me insane, but at least you never had to witness me with someone else."

Bella had the decency to look chagrined. "Jacob's like a brother to me now."

"I know. But it wasn't always the case."

"But what was her name?" Bella asked, zooming back in to the details of my former and fuzzy human years.

"I have no idea, Bella," I said, running a hand through my hair wearily. But even as I said that, the name of this faceless woman sprang into my head like some sort of evil reminder of my days before Bella. "Christine."

"Ugh, really?" Bella said, fiddling with her hands absentmindedly. "Was she blonde?"

"I really don't remember, Bella, honestly." I paused. "What are you doing?" I asked, alarmed.

Bella was fiddling with her wedding ring, pulling it loose from her knuckle and sliding it up to the tip of her finger before pushing it back into place.

"What?" Bella asked, her eyes snapping up to see mine when she caught the urgency in my tone.

My hands flashed up to grab hers. "Stop."

"What am I…"

"Please, keep that on your hand."

Bella glanced from my pained expression to her hands and hastily smashed the ring back to the base of her finger.

"Sorry. I really...I didn't mean…" Bella grabbed my face between her hands and kissed me once, twice, soft and full of promises.

"I know," I said quietly, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to the ring resting on her finger. "Just. Promise me that it'll stay on your person forever. I can't explain to you what it means to me, to see it on you."

Bella smiled at me. "It'll never come off again, I promise."

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Thanks! Please review!


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